As Storm Goretti approaches with its icy grip, airlines are cautioning travelers about potential disruptions this weekend. The impending wintry mix of ice and snow poses a threat to flight schedules across the country.
Both Ryanair and Jet2 have proactively reached out to their customers, advising them to stay vigilant and remain flexible with their travel plans given the storm’s unpredictable nature.
Ryanair has highlighted the “potential disruption” in the UK, primarily due to necessary de-icing measures on runways that could lead to delays or changes in flight schedules. The airline has promised to notify affected passengers promptly and urges everyone traveling to or from the UK to regularly check the Ryanair app for the latest updates.
Similarly, Jet2 is on high alert, keeping a close watch on the weather conditions from Saturday through Monday. This comes in response to fresh warnings from the Met Office, which has issued several Amber alerts. Storm Goretti is expected to bring high winds, rain, sleet, and snow to parts of the UK starting Thursday evening, with these challenging conditions likely persisting into the weekend.
As the storm looms, both airlines are prioritizing safety and encouraging passengers to stay informed about any developments that could affect their travel plans.
It wrote: ‘The Met Office have issued various Amber warnings due to Storm Goretti affecting parts of the UK from Thursday evening, warning of high winds, rain, sleet and snow in parts. These conditions are forecast to continue into the weekend.
‘If you are travelling with Jet2.com we plan to operate our flights as close to schedule as possible, however, there may be some disruption should the weather or the forecast deteriorate.’
Customers were advised to travel to airports and check in as usual, but pay attention to updates from the airlines ‘Red Teams’ who will keep passengers updated on the situation.
People walking on Pen y Fan in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (formerly Brecon Beacons) on Saturday morning
Deserted platforms and a departure board at Old Hill station in Sandwell, West Midlands, on Friday
Texts and emails will also be sent to any passengers affected by disruption, it said.
The airline concluded: ‘Jet2.com would like to apologise in advance for any disruption you may experience. Your comfort and safety is our number one priority, we will have you on the way as soon as possible.’
Storm Goretti has seen trees felled en mass, large areas flooded, towns blanketed with snow and roads transformed into ice rinks.
Birmingham Airport was forced to suspend use of its runway operations on Thursday night after ‘heavy snow’ made it unsafe to fly, while Heathrow cancelled dozens of flights due to severe weather.
Passengers were urged to contact their airline about the status of their flights – with photos showing planes blanketed in a thick layer of snow and ice.
News of its worst impact emerged when police announced a man had died after a tree fell onto his caravan in Cornwall.
Emergency services were called to the Mawgan area of Helston at around 7.35pm on Thursday after the tree came down.
Officers worked through Friday to safely remove the tree from the mobile home, and tragically a man in his 50s was found dead at the scene.
Although the storm has eased slightly, a yellow warning for snow and ice was in place until 3pm on Saturday, with further snowfall possible across parts of northern England and much of Scotland.
A widespread risk of ice was expected to cause disruption across services.
Forecasts predicted a further 2-5cm of snow was likely in areas affected by the warnings, and 10-20cm possible above 200 metres.
A separate yellow warning for ice covered large parts of England and Wales until midday on Saturday as partially thawed snow refreezes, accompanied by wintry showers and freezing fog.
In Northern Ireland, a yellow warning for snow and ice ran until 11am on Saturday, with the Met Office warning of icy patches and some hill snow.
On Sunday, yellow weather warnings cover the north of England, all of Northern Ireland and the whole of Scotland, for a mixture of rain, wind and snow and ice.
Central Scotland is under an amber warning for snow from 3am until 2pm on Sunday, with up to 30cm forecast on higher ground.
